RU2342788C1 - Technologies for decrease in cross noises in wireless communication networks - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: physics, communication.

SUBSTANCE: invention gives technologies for reaction to overlapping requirements in networks of a wireless communication which includes a transmit-receive of data from a sending device through a wireless communication network, these data transmission correspond to linking with a sending device and occur within the reserved part of a resource of communication, the requirement of cross noises which includes allocation of a resource of communication for the next device which is overlapped with the reserved part, on the basis of this detection is found out, in an expedient the notice on a sending device goes, the notice specifies presence of overlapped transmissions in the reserved part of a resource of communication.

EFFECT: decrease in cross noises of transmissions in wireless communication networks.

43 cl, 8 dwg

Description

This international application claims priority for a US patent application, serial number 10 / 961,092, registered October 12, 2004, entitled "Technologies to Reduce Mutual Interference in Wireless Networks." This application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wireless communications. More specifically, the present invention relates to technologies for reducing transmission interference in wireless networks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Short-range wireless radio networks typically include devices that have a communication range of one hundred meters or less. To provide long-distance communications, these radio networks are often paired with other networks. For example, short-range networks can interface with cellular networks, telecommunications networks with wired communication lines and the Internet.

Currently, for IEEE 802.15.3a, a High Speed Physical Layer (PHY) standard is being selected. The current IEEE 802.15.3 medium access control (MAC) layer is assumed to be used as much as possible with the selected PHY. There are currently two remaining candidates for PHY. One of these candidates is based on the use of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) frequency hopping. Another candidate is based on M-ary binary shift manipulation. The OFDM proposal is called Multiband OFDM (MBO). Moreover, in order to further develop the OFDM proposal outside of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), a new association has been formed, called the OFDM Multiband Association (MBOA).

MBO uses OFDM modulation and frequency hopping. Frequency hopping MBO may include transmitting each of the OFDM symbols at different frequencies according to predetermined codes such as time frequency codes (TFCs). Time-frequency codes can be used for spreading coding of interleaved information bits over a larger frequency band.

Today, within the MBOA there is an interest in creating a medium access control (MAC) layer that could be used with the OFDM physical layer instead of the IEEE802.15.3 MAC layer. The current version of MAC MBOA includes a group of wireless communication devices (referred to as a beacon emission group) that are capable of communicating with each other. The synchronization of beacon emission groups is based on a “super-frame” repetition scheme in which communication resources can be allocated to devices.

MAC layers control the exchange between devices with transmissions called frames. A MAC frame may contain various parts. Examples of such parts include frame headers and frame bodies. The frame body includes a payload containing data associated with higher protocol layers, such as user applications. Examples of such user applications include web browsers, email applications, messaging applications, and the like.

In addition, MAC layers control resource allocation. For example, each device requires a dedicated portion of the available bandwidth of the communication channel in order to transmit frames. The current MAC MBOA proposal provides for resource allocation through data transmissions, referred to as beacons. Beacons are transmissions that the device uses to transmit non-payload information. Each device in the beacon emission group is allocated a portion of the bandwidth for transmitting the beacons.

Such transmissions enable the MAC MBOA to operate according to a distributed control approach in which multiple devices share responsibility for the MAC layer. The channel access mechanism, referred to as the distributed reservation protocol (DRP), is an example of such a shared responsibility. DRP includes basic means for establishing and breaking a unidirectional connection between two or more devices.

In a distributed network, a device making a reservation to connect to another device may not be aware of device reservations around another device. Therefore, the MBOA MAC provides an accessibility information element (AIE) that indicates the use of communication resources from a different device perspective.

The current MAC MBOA specification (version 0.62, September 2004) requires an AIE, which should only be sent in limited cases that result in a new connection. Otherwise, sending an AIE is optional. However, device mobility can cause previously acceptable resource allocations to become those that cause significant interference.

There was a suggestion that devices transmit AIE in each superframe. Although such an approach could reduce interference, it would also cause some problems. Such problems include congestion in the bandwidth allocated for beacon transmissions. This overload could make it difficult to send other important beacon transmissions. Accordingly, technology is required to reduce mutual interference that does not waste communication resources.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides technologies for responding to congestion conditions in wireless communication networks. For example, the methods of the present invention receive data transmissions from a transmitting device over a wireless communication network. These data transmissions correspond to the connection with the transmitter and occur within the reserved portion of the communication resource. The method, in addition, detects a condition of mutual interference, which includes the distribution of the communication resource for the neighboring device, overlapping with the reserved part. Based on this detection, in the method a notification is sent to the transmitting device, the notification indicates the presence of overlapping transmissions in the reserved part of the communication resource.

In addition, the present device provides a computer program product comprising program code for enabling a processor, for example, to execute features of a method.

The device of the present invention includes a receiver, a controller, and a transmitter. The receiver receives data from the transmitting device over a wireless network. These data transmissions correspond to the connection with the transmitter and occur within the reserved portion of the communication resource. The controller detects a mutual interference condition, which includes the distribution of the communication resource for the neighboring device, which overlaps with the reserved part. The transmitter sends a notification to the transmitter, which indicates the presence of overlapping transmissions in the reserved portion of the communication resource.

In addition, the present invention provides an apparatus comprising a transmitter, receiver, memory, and processor. The receiver receives data transmissions from the transmitting device over the wireless communication network, which correspond to the connection with the transmitting device and occur within the reserved part of the communication resource. The memory stores instructions for the processor to detect a mutual interference condition, which includes allocating a communication resource to a neighboring device that overlaps with the reserved portion. The transmitter sends a notification to the transmitting device, the notification indicates the presence of overlapping transmissions in the reserved part of the communication resource.

Additionally, the mutual interference condition may include allocating a communication resource for a neighboring device having a higher priority than connecting to a transmitting device. In addition, the mutual interference condition may further include allocating a communication resource for a neighboring device comprising an acknowledgment setting.

The notification sent to the transmitting device may be in the form of an accessibility information element (AIE) and / or a modified distributed reservation protocol information element (IE DRP).

Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, the same reference numbers, as a rule, indicate identical, functionally similar and / or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which the element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit (s) in the reference number. The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 - diagram of an exemplary operating environment;

2 is a diagram showing an example format of an MBOA superframe;

3A and 3B are diagrams of an exemplary communication scenario;

4A and 4B are diagrams showing exemplary resource allocations for wireless network connections;

5 is a flowchart of a method of operating an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

6 is a flowchart of an operation method of a device according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a structural diagram of an exemplary architecture of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an exemplary implementation of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

I. Operating Environment

Before a detailed description of the invention, it is first of all useful to describe the environment in which the present invention can be applied. Accordingly, FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example operating environment. This environment includes a plurality of beacon emitting groups 101, each of which contains a plurality of devices 102. For example, FIG. 1 shows a beacon emitting group 101a that includes member devices (DEV) 102a-e. 1 also shows a beacon emission group 101b, which includes member devices (DEVs) 102a, 102g, and 102h.

In the beacon emission group 101a, each of the DEV 102a-d may communicate with the DEV 102e via a corresponding communication line 120. For example, FIG. 1 shows a DEV 102a in communication with a DEV 102e via a communication line 120a. In addition, in the beacon emission group 101a, each of the devices 102a-e can communicate directly with each other. For example, FIG. 1 shows DEVs 102c and 102d communicating via a forward link 122a.

In the beacon emission group 101b, each of the DEVs 102f and 102g can communicate with the DEVs 102h via a corresponding communication line 120. For example, DEV 102f communicates with DEV 102h via communication line 120f, while DEV 102g communicates with DEV 102h via communication line 120g. DEV 102f and 102g in the beacon emission group 101b can also communicate with each other. For example, FIG. 1 shows DEVs 102f and 102g communicating via communication link 122b.

Each of the communication lines 122 and 120 may use different frequency hopping schemes. These circuits may include, for example, one or more time frequency codes (TFCs). In embodiments of the present invention, each beacon emitting group 101 applies a specific frequency hopping scheme. These schemes can be the same or different.

Each of the transmissions of the beacon emitting groups 101a and 101b is based on a repeating pattern called a superframe. Accordingly, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example format of an MBOA superframe. In particular, FIG. 2 shows a frame format comprising superframes 202a, 202b and 202c. As shown in FIG. 2, superframe 202b immediately follows superframe 202a, and superframe 202c immediately follows superframe 202b.

Each superframe 202 includes a beacon period 204 and a data transmission period 206. Beacon periods 204 deliver transmissions from each of the devices in the beacon emission group. Accordingly, each beacon period 204 includes beacon intervals 207, each of which corresponds to a particular device in the beacon emission group. During these intervals, the corresponding device can transmit different service or network information.

For example, such information can be used to specify resource allocations and to transmit control information for a beacon emitting group. In addition, according to the present invention, data transmission periods 206 can be used to transmit information regarding services / features and functionality (e.g., information services, applications, games, topologies, tariffs, security features, etc.) of devices within an emission group lighthouse. The transmission of such information in beacon periods 204 may occur in response to requests from devices, such as scanning devices.

A data transmission period 206 is used for devices to transmit data, for example, according to frequency hopping technologies that employ OFDM and / or TFC. For example, data transmission periods 206 may support data transmissions on communication links 120 and 122. In addition, devices (e.g., DEV 102a-e) may use data transmission periods 206 to transmit control information, such as request messages, to other devices. In order to facilitate the transmission of the flow of traffic, each DEV may be assigned a specific time interval within each data transmission period 206. In the context of the MBOA MAC specification, these time slots are referred to as medium access intervals (MAS).

A MAS is a time period within a data transmission period 206 in which two or more devices are protected against contention by devices that confirm the reservation. MAS can be distributed according to a distribution protocol, such as a distributed reservation protocol (DRP).

II. Mutual Scenarios

3A and 3B are diagrams of an example communication scenario in which several devices 302 participate in a short-range wireless communication network 300, such as a beacon emitting group 101. According to this scenario, FIG. 3A shows the initial arrangement of communication devices. The subsequent arrangement of these devices is shown in FIG. 3B.

With reference to FIG. 3A, an initial set of conditions is shown. These initial conditions include a device 302a having a connection 350a with a device 302b, and a device 302d having a connection 350b with device 302e. Traffic (traffic flow) can be transmitted through connections 350 in various ways. For example, an exemplary connection 350 includes a transmitter (also referred to as a sender) and a receiver (also referred to as a receiver).

The sending device sends data to the receiving device. In response, the receiving device may send information, such as acknowledgment messages, to indicate reception of the transmitted data. Data and acknowledgment messages are transmitted through a dedicated part of the available communication bandwidth, such as part (s) of the super-frame data transmission period. As an illustrative example, device 302a is a sender, and device 302b is a receiver for connection 350a. For connection 350b, device 302e is the sender, and device 302d is the receiver.

Each of the devices 302 sends a beacon during a beacon period, such as a beacon period of a superframe defined by an MBOA MAC. In addition, for each connection 350, the participating devices 302 transmit data. These data transmissions may occur, for example, during a data transmission portion of a superframe determined by the MAC MBOA.

For purposes of illustration, FIGS. 3A and 3B include circles 304, each of which represents spatial areas or locations. Devices that are within each particular circle 304 can receive each other's gears. For example, FIG. 3A shows that devices 302a and 302b can receive each other's transmissions since they are inside circle 304a. Similarly, devices 302b and 302c can receive each other's transmissions since the devices are both inside circle 304b. Moreover, devices 302c, 302d, and 302e may receive each other's transmissions since they are within circle 304c.

Due to the mobility of the devices 302, the communication conditions may change, for example, FIG. 3B shows that the device 302d has moved within the circle 304b. From here, device 302d can now receive transmissions from devices 302b, 302c, and 302e. If the data transfer regulations (eg, DRP reservations) of the connections 350a and 350b overlap in time, then communication on one or both of these connections will be subject to strong mutual interference.

Figures 4A and 4B show exemplary transmission time distributions (eg, DRP rules) for network connections 300. These distributions are shown along the time axis 400 from various angles of various devices. In particular, FIG. 4A shows the views from the devices under the initial conditions of FIG. 3A, while FIG. 4B shows the views from the devices under the following conditions of FIG. 3B.

With reference to FIG. 4A, a distribution view 402 for a connection 350a is shown from the perspective of devices 302a and 302b. In addition, FIG. 4A shows a distribution view 404 for a connection 350b in terms of devices 302d and 302e. From these perspectives, it can be seen that the data transfer distributions for connections 350a and 350b overlap in time. However, from the perspectives of devices 302a, 302b, 302d, and 302e, these distributions do not interfere with each other during the initial conditions of FIG. 3A. This is because for these initial conditions, devices 302a and 302b cannot receive transmissions from devices 302d and 302e, and vice versa.

However, for the subsequent conditions of FIG. 3B, interference occurs.

In particular, FIG. 4B shows a distribution view 406 from the point of view of the device 302a, a distribution view 408 and 410 from the point of view of the devices 302b and 302d, as well as a distribution view 412 from the point of view of the device 302e.

As shown by distribution views 406 and 412, transmissions (e.g., data) from device 302b to device 302a and from device 302e to device 302d do not intersect. However, distribution views 408 and 410 show that transmissions from device 302a to device 302b and from device 302e to device 302d intersect each other. However, due to the transmission conditions of the network 300, the devices 302a and 302e cannot identify the source of this mutual interference (which appear as a reduction in bandwidth).

In these situations, devices that are prone to perceive such mutual interference may notice overlapping distribution schemes and identify sources of mutual interference by receiving and processing beacon transmissions from their neighboring devices. Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention provides that devices report such sources of interference to devices with which they share connections.

III. Work

5 is a flowchart of an operation method according to aspects of the present invention. This work involves the interaction between the first device (sender) and the second device (receiver). In this operation, the recipient informs the sender if one or more interfering conditions exist. Based on such notifications, interfering conditions may be removed. The operation of FIG. 5 is described in the context of an MBOA network, such as the beacon emission group 101 of FIG. 1. However, this work may also be used in other contexts.

As shown in FIG. 5, this operation includes a step 502 in which the sender and receiver participate in a wireless communication network, such as a beacon emitting group 101. Accordingly, non-payload communication resources, such as a beacon interval, are allocated to each of these devices.

At step 503, a connection is formed between the sender and the recipient. This connection includes the allocation of communication resources (for example, one or more parts of a superframe data transmission period). In an MBOA network, such distributions can be performed according to the distributed reservation protocol (DRP).

DRP provides devices with the ability to back up a portion of superframe data for a specific period. Creating a reservation is referred to as DRP negotiation. In order to establish and maintain a reservation (or connection), a device requesting a reservation (e.g., a sender) transmits a DRP information element (IE DRP) during its beacon interval. The other device (s) on the connection (for example, the receiver) also transmits IE DRP in its beacon interval. Both of these devices transmit DRP IE at their respective beacon intervals of each superframe during the existence of the reservation.

At step 504, the sender transmits data to the recipient through dedicated communication resources (eg, existing DRP reservation). In embodiments, this step comprises receiving one or more data transmissions within the resources allocated to the connection between these devices. Upon receipt of such transmissions, the recipient may transmit corresponding acknowledgment messages to the sender at step 506. These data transmissions and acknowledgments may be in the form of OFDM signals.

At step 507, the receiver monitors non-payload transmissions (e.g., beacon transmissions) of any neighboring devices (i.e., devices from which the receiver can receive transmissions). This tracking includes receiving connection information of neighboring devices (a). Such connection information describes the resources allocated to these devices for communication. In embodiments, this connection information comes in the form of a DRP IE. As discussed above, the DRP IE determines which particular intervals are used by the beacon emitting device.

Based on this tracking, the recipient determines whether one or more redistribution conditions exist. Examples of such conditions are described below with reference to steps 508 through 512.

Figure 5 shows that at step 508, the recipient determines whether the distribution (eg, DRP reservation) of the neighboring device overlaps with the allocations (eg, DRP reservation) of resources belonging to the connections of the recipient. If so, the action proceeds to step 510. However, as an alternative, FIG. 5 has the effect that the action may also proceed to step 512 or step 516, depending on the embodiment. Otherwise, FIG. 5 shows that if there is no such overlap, the operation proceeds to step 518.

At step 510, the receiver determines whether the overlapping distribution of the neighboring device has a priority that is higher than the receiver's connections. If so, the action proceeds to step 512. However, as an alternative to FIG. 5, the action may proceed to step 516, depending on the embodiment. Otherwise, if the overlapping distribution does not have a higher priority, the action proceeds to step 518. It should also be noted that under certain environmental conditions, such as in the case of an asymmetric communication line, the action may (in embodiments) proceed to step 516, even when the priority of the neighboring device is lower than such recipient connections.

At 512, the recipient determines if confirmation is applied to the overlapping distribution (or reservation) of the neighboring device. For example, with reference to the MBOA, step 512 may comprise determining whether the overlapping reservation applies an imm-ack or b-ack confirmation strategy. As will be described below, such definitions can be obtained thanks to the information contained in the ACK strategy field of the DRP IE. If such confirmations apply, the operation proceeds to step 516. Otherwise, step 518 is performed.

FIG. 5 shows that step 516 is executed when the redistribution condition (s) of step 508 and (in embodiments) steps 510 and / or 512 have been met. At step 516, the receiver and sender are contacted to redistribute the communication resources of the recipient. However, FIG. 5 shows that step 518 is performed when such conditions are not satisfied. At this stage, the device refuses to perform redistribution actions.

Step 516 may be performed in various ways. One method involves exchanging information through beacon transmissions. For example, step 516 may comprise generating and transmitting by the recipient an updated accessibility information element (AIE) during its beacon interval. Alternatively, step 516 may comprise generating and transmitting by the receiver an updated and modified DRP IE. As a further alternative, step 516 may comprise generating and transmitting by the recipient both the updated AIE as well as the updated and modified DRP IE. In addition, the receiving device may receive DRP IE from the transmitting device.

IV. Availability Information and DRP Elements

According to the current MAC MBOA specification, the AIE is used by the device to indicate its vision of the current use of MAS in the device’s superframe. The AIE format is shown below in table 1.

Table 1
AIE format Octets: 32 one one Availability Bitmap Length
(= x) Item id

As shown in Table 1, the AIE contains an availability bitmap that is 256 bits long. Each of these bits corresponds to each MAS in a superframe. More specifically, each bit in the bitmap indicates device availability for the corresponding MAS. For example, '0' is a sign that the device is available during the corresponding MAS, and '1' is a sign that the device is not available during the corresponding MAS.

Thus, at step 516, the sender can receive an AIE that indicates the presence of overlapping distributions. Currently, MAC MBOA is setting limited uses for the AIE. During DRP negotiation of unicast transmission, the device needs to respond to the requesting device using the AIE if the request cannot be completely acceptable. This requirement may arise when the relevant device is not able to recognize the request as acceptable due to a conflict with other reservations. Otherwise, the transfer of AIE is optional. The transmitter can use the receiver AIE to make new reservations or changes for MAS slots that are free for the receiver. Accordingly, step 516 may further comprise sending the modified DRP IE to the receiver in the next superframe.

The following describes the DRP format of the MAC MBOA proposal. Table 2 below illustrates the DRP IE format.

table 2
Distributed Reservation Protocol Information Element Format Octets: 2 2 2 3 one one DRP
Reservation 1 ... DRP redundancy
N Destination DEVID /
source DRP management Length
(= x) Item id

Table 2 shows that the DRP IE includes one or more DRP reservation fields, each 2 octets in length. The format of this field is shown below in table 3.

Table 3
DRP Reservation Field Format Octets: 1 one DRP Duration DRP Offset

The DRP offset field in Table 3 defines the start time of the scheduled transmission. It should be set to the interval number of the first reservation interval, which is defined relative to the start time of the beacon period (BPST). The DRP duration field in Table 3 contains, in multiple data slots, a reservation duration.

Table 2 also shows that the DRP IE includes a three-octet DRP control field. The format of this field is illustrated below in table 4.

Table 4
DRP Control Field Format Bits: 8 5 5 four one one Reserved Stream id A priority Type of ACK Strategy Tx / rx

In the DRP control field, the Tx / Rx bit is set to '0' if the device is the sender of the scheduled transmission, and it is set to '1' if the device is the receiver. This bit is decoded only if the reservation belongs to the type of hard (Hard) or type of soft (Soft). The ACP (acknowledge) strategy bit of the DRP control field is set to '0' for unicast reservations with a No-ACK strategy (without acknowledgment), and for multicast or broadcast reservations. However, this bit is set to '1' for unicast reservations with Imm-ACK or B-ACK strategies. The ACK strategy bit is decoded only if the reservation is either hard or soft. The transmission priority is set by the DRP control field and may have a value between '0' and '7'.

The type field of the DRP control field indicates the type of reservation and is encoded as shown in Table 5 below.

Table 5
Types of DRP Reservations 0000 Beacon period 0001 Hard backup 0010 Soft redundancy 0011 Private Reservation 0100 Spare (reserved) 0101 Spare 0110-1111 Spare

The destination / source DEVID field from the DRP IE is set to the recipient device ID, multicast group, or broadcast address when the device sending the DRP IE is the sender, and the sender device ID when the device sending the DRP IE is the receiver. The DEVID field is decoded only if the reservation is of the hard type or the soft type.

According to aspects of the present invention, when a recipient notices a reservation in his environment (i.e., from a neighboring device) that is overlapping with his own reservation, the receiver informs its sender of the conflict (collision). This notification may be included in step 516. In an embodiment, the receiving device indicates collision MAS intervals, skipping the indication of these intervals in the DRP IE that it transmits. This provides an indication to the transmitter that such specific intervals should not be used to transmit data to the receiver. In a further embodiment, the receiving device indicates the collision MAS intervals as unavailable in the bit vector that it transmits to the AIE. However, in further embodiments of the present invention, the recipient indicates the collision intervals both by skipping the collision intervals in the DRP IE and by sending an AIE that indicates the collision intervals as unavailable. This helps the transmitter identify any vacant MAS slots.

V. Recipient-initiated agreement

A further alternative for step 516 includes a recipient-initiated message exchange between the recipient and the sender. Accordingly, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an interaction between a transmitter 602 and a receiver 604 that entails the exchange of such messages. These messages can be transmitted through beacon transmissions. Alternatively, these messages may be transmitted over a dedicated communication bandwidth (i.e., existing reservations). The advantage of this interaction is that it can save time (for example, one superframe) more than the aforementioned AIE approach, which includes a DRP reservation mechanism.

The interaction of FIG. 6 includes numerous steps. For example, at step 610, the receiving device 604 sends a ChangeRecommendation message to the transmitting device 604. As shown in FIG. 6, the ChangeRecommendation message includes a reservation recommendation parameter and an AIE. The reservation recommendation parameter indicates which intervals the MAS is recommended by the recipient, and the AIE shows all options.

Transmitter 602 receives and processes this message. Based on this, the transmitting device 602 generates and sends a ChangeRequest (change request) message at step 612. As shown in FIG. 6, this message includes newly requested reservations (distributions) as well as current ones.

Upon receipt of the ChangeRequest message, the receiving device determines whether to consider this request acceptable. If deemed acceptable, the receiving device 604 sends a ChangeResponse message to the transmitting device 602 in step 614.

VI. Device implementation

7 is a diagram of a wireless communication device 700 that can operate according to the technologies of the present invention. This device can be used in various external communication conditions, such as the conditions of FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, device 700 includes a physical layer (PHY) controller 702, a media access control (MAC) controller 703, an OFDM transceiver 704, an upper protocol layer (s) 705, and an antenna 710.

MAC controller 703 generates frames (data communications) and beacons for wireless transmission. In addition, the MAC controller 703 receives and processes frames and beacon transmissions that originate from remote devices. The MAC controller 703 exchanges these frames and beacon transmissions with the PHY controller 702. In turn, the PHY controller 702 exchanges frames and beacon transmissions with an OFDM transceiver 704. In addition, the MAC controller 703 identifies the interfering conditions and initiates the elimination of such conditions. For example, in embodiments, the MAC controller 703 may perform the steps of FIG. 5.

7 shows that the OFDM transceiver 704 includes a receiver part 750 and a transmitter part 760. Transmitter portion 760 includes an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) module 714, a zero padding module 716, an upconverter 718, and a transmission amplifier 720. An inverse FFT module 714 receives frames for transmission from the PHY controller 702. For each of these frames, an inverse FFT module 714 generates OFDM modulated signals. This formation includes performing one or more inverse fast Fourier transform operations. As a result, this OFDM modulated signal includes one or more OFDM symbols. The signal is sent to a zero pad module 716, which attaches one or more “zero samples” to the beginning of each OFDM symbol to create an augmented modulated signal. The upconverter 718 receives this augmented signal and applies carrier-based technology to place it in one or more frequency bands. These one or more frequency bands are determined according to a frequency hopping scheme, such as one or more TFCs. As a result, upconverter 718 generates a frequency hopping signal that is amplified by transmission amplifier 720 and transmitted through antenna 710.

7 shows that the receiver portion 750 includes a down converter 722, a receive amplifier 724, and a fast Fourier transform (FFT) module 726. These components (also referred to as the receiver) are used when receiving wireless signals from remote devices. In particular, antenna 710 receives wireless signals from remote devices that may employ frequency hopping schemes, such as one or more TFCs. These signals are sent to an amplifier 724, which generates amplified signals. Amplifier 724 sends amplified signals to a downconverter 722. Upon receipt, the downconverter 722 employs carrier-based technologies to convert these signals from their one or more frequency hopping bands (eg, TFC bands) to a predetermined low frequency range. This results in modulated signals that are received by the FFT module 726, which performs OFDM demodulation on these signals. This demodulation involves performing a fast Fourier transform for each symbol that is transmitted in the amplified signals.

As a result of this demodulation, the FFT module 726 forms one or more frames that are sent to the PHY controller 702. These frames may convey information such as payload data and protocol header (s). Upon receipt, the PHY controller 702 processes these frames. This may include removing PHY level header fields and sending the remaining parts of the frames to the MAC controller 703.

As shown in FIG. 7, device 700 further includes one or more upper protocol layers 705. These levels may include, for example, user applications. Accordingly, upper layers 705 may exchange information with remote devices. This entails level (s) 705 exchanging protocol exchange units with MAC controller 703. In turn, the MAC controller 703 controls the PHY controller 702 and the transceiver 704 to transmit and receive corresponding wireless signals.

The device of FIG. 7 may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. For example, upconverter 718, transmit amplifier 720, receive amplifier 724, and down converter 722 may include electronics such as amplifiers, mixers, and filters. Moreover, implementations of device 700 may include digital signal processor (s) (DSPs) for implementing various modules, such as scan module 706, inverse FFT module 714, zero padding module 716, and FFT module 726. Moreover, in embodiments of this invention, processor (s), such as microprocessors, executing instructions (that is, software) that are stored in memory (not shown), can be used to control the operation of various components in device 700. For example, components, such as a PHY controller 702 and a MAC controller 703, can mainly be implemented using software running on one or more processors.

One such implementation of the architecture of FIG. 7 is shown in FIG. This diagram illustrates a terminal device implemented according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, this implementation includes a processor 810, a memory 812, and a user interface 814. In addition, the implementation of FIG. 8 includes an OFDM transceiver 704 and an antenna 710. These components can be implemented as described above with with reference to Fig.7. However, the implementation of FIG. 8 may be modified to include different transceivers that support other wireless technologies.

A processor 810 controls the operation of the device. As shown in FIG. 8, processor 810 is coupled to transceiver 704. Processor 810 may be implemented by one or more microprocessors, each of which is capable of executing program instructions stored in memory 812, for example, as a computer system.

The memory 812 includes random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM) and / or flash memory, and stores the information in the form of data and software components (also referred to in the materials of this application as modules). These software components include instructions that may be executed by processor 810. Various types of software components can be stored in memory 812. For example, memory 812 can store software components that control the operation of transceiver 704. In addition, memory 812 can store software components. which provide the functionality of a PHY controller 702, a MAC controller 703, and a protocol upper layer (s) 705.

In addition, memory 812 can store software components that control the exchange of information through user interface 814. As shown in FIG. 8, user interface 814 is also connected to processor 810. User interface 814 facilitates the exchange of information with the user. 8 shows that the user interface 814 includes a user input part 816 and a user output part 818.

Part 816 user input may include one or more devices that provide the user with the ability to enter information. Examples of such devices include keypads, touch screens, and microphones. Part 818 user output provides the user the ability to receive information from the device. So, the user output portion 818 may include various devices, such as a display and one or more sound speakers (e.g., stereo systems) and a sound processor and / or amplifier for driving the speakers. Exemplary displays include color liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and color video displays.

The elements shown in Fig. 8 may be associated according to various technologies. One such technology includes connecting a transceiver 704, a processor 810, a memory 812, and a user interface 814 via one or more bus interfaces. In addition, each of these components is connected to a power source, such as a removable and / or rechargeable battery (not shown).

VII. Output

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they were presented by way of example only and not limitation. For example, although examples have been described using MBOA communications, other short-range and long-range communication technologies are within the scope of the present invention. Moreover, the technologies of the present invention can be used with signaling technologies other than OFDM.

Accordingly, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and content can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above embodiments, but should be determined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (43)

1. A method in a wireless communication device for indicating the presence of overlapping reservations in a wireless communication network, the method comprising the steps (a) receiving data transmissions from the transmitter within the wireless communication network, the data transmissions corresponding to the connection with the transmitter and occur within the reserved portion of the data transmission period of the communication resource; (b) receiving a plurality of beacon transmissions from one or more devices belonging to said communication network, said beacons maintaining coordination between devices in the network, and occur within the allocated beacon period of the communication resource; (c) detecting a mutual interference condition, wherein the mutual interference condition includes receiving a beacon transmission indicating reservation of a communication resource by another device, overlapping with said reserved portion of a communication resource data transmission period; and (d) send a notification to the transmitting device, the notification indicating the presence of overlapping reservations in the reserved portion of the data transmission period of the communication resource. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mutual interference condition further includes allocating a communication resource for a neighboring device having a higher priority than connecting to a transmitting device. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mutual interference condition further includes allocating a communication resource for a neighboring device, comprising an acknowledgment setting. 4. The method according to claim 1, in which step (c) comprises sending a notification during a portion of the communication resource allocated to non-payload transmissions. 5. The method according to claim 4, in which the portion of the communication resource allocated to non-payload transmissions is a periodically appearing time interval. 6. The method according to claim 5, in which the periodically appearing time interval is a beacon interval. 7. The method according to claim 4, in which step (c) consists in transmitting an accessibility information element (AIE) during a portion of a communication resource allocated to non-payload transmissions. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the AIE includes a plurality of bits, wherein each of the plurality of bits indicates a reservation status of a corresponding portion of a communication resource. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein step (c) further comprises transmitting a modified distributed reservation protocol information element (IE DRP), the modified DRP IE provides indications of overlapping reserved parts of a communication resource for a wireless communication device. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the modified DRP IE indicates overlapping reserved portions of a communication resource by skipping indications of respective media access intervals (MAS). 11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising receive the distributed reservation protocol information element (IE DRP) from the transmitting device, the DRP IE reserves a new part of the communication resource for receiving data transmission from the transmitting device. 12. The method according to claim 11, in which the DRP IE is received during the second part of the communication resource allocated to non-payload transmissions from the transmitting device. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises transmitting a notification of non-overlapping reserved portions of a communication resource for a wireless communication device. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said indication is included in a modified distributed reservation protocol information element (DRP IE). 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the modified DRP IE indicates overlapping reserved portions of a communication resource by skipping indications of respective media access intervals (MAS). 16. The method according to claim 1, additionally containing (e) reserve a new part of the communication resource for receiving data transmissions from the transmitting device. 17. The method according to clause 16, in which step (e) comprises receiving a distributed reservation protocol information element (IE DRP) from a transmitting device, DRP IE indicates a new portion of a communication resource. 18. A device for transmitting a notification of the presence of overlapping reservations in a wireless communication network, comprising a receiver configured to receive data transmissions from the transmitting device within the wireless communication network, wherein the data transmissions correspond to the connection with the transmitting device and occur within the reserved portion of the communication resource data transmission period; wherein said receiver is further configured to receive a plurality of beacon transmissions from one or more devices belonging to said communication network, said beacons supporting coordination between devices in the network, and occur within the allocated beacon period of the communication resource; a controller configured to detect a mutual interference condition, wherein the mutual interference condition includes receiving a beacon transmission indicating reservation of a communication resource by another device that overlaps with a reserved portion of a communication resource data transmission period; and a transmitter configured to send a notification to the transmitting device, the notification indicates the presence of overlapping reservations in the reserved portion of the communication resource data transmission period. 19. The device according to p, in which the condition of mutual interference further includes the allocation of a communication resource for the neighboring device, which has a higher priority than the connection with the transmitting device. 20. The device according to claim 19, in which the condition for mutual interference further includes the distribution of the communication resource for the neighboring device, containing the installation confirmation. 21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the transmitter is further configured to send said notification during a portion of a communication resource allocated to non-payload transmissions. 22. The device according to item 21, in which part of the communication resource allocated to non-payload transmissions is a periodically appearing time interval. 23. The device according to item 22, in which the periodically appearing time interval is a beacon interval. 24. The device according to item 21, in which the notification includes an accessibility information element (AIE) transmitted during a portion of a communication resource allocated to non-payload transmissions. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the AIE includes a plurality of bits, wherein each of the plurality of bits indicates a reservation status of a corresponding portion of a communication resource. 26. The device according to paragraph 24, in which the notification further includes a modified information element of the distributed reservation protocol (IE DRP), the modified DRP IE provides indications of overlapping reserved parts of the communication resource for the wireless communication device. 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the modified DRP IE indicates overlapping reserved portions of a communication resource by skipping indications of respective media access intervals (MAS). 28. The device according to paragraph 24, in which the receiver is further configured to receive the distributed reservation protocol information element (IE DRP) from the transmitting device, the DRP IE reserves a new part of the communication resource for receiving data transmission from the transmitting device. 29. The device according to p. 28, in which IE DRP is received during the second part of the communication resource allocated to non-payload transmissions from the transmitting device. 30. The device according to p, in which the wireless communication network is an IEEE 802.15.3 network. 31. The device according to p, in which the receiver is additionally configured to receive data transmissions from the transmitting device in the form of multiplexing signals with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). 32. The device according to p, in which the notification includes an indication of the non-overlapping reserved parts of the communication resource for the wireless communication device. 33. The device according to p, in which the indication is included in the modified information element of the distributed reservation protocol (IE DRP). 34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the modified DRP IE indicates overlapping reserved portions of a communication resource by skipping indications of respective media access intervals (MAS). 35. A computer system for detecting the presence of overlapping reservations in a wireless communication network, comprising a receiver configured to receive data transmissions from the transmitting device within the wireless communication network, wherein the data transmissions correspond to the connection with the transmitting device and occur within the reserved portion of the communication resource data transmission period; wherein said receiver is further configured to receive a plurality of beacon transmissions from one or more devices belonging to said communication network, said beacons supporting coordination between devices in the network, and occur within the allocated beacon period of the communication resource; CPU; a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions for the processor to detect a mutual interference condition, wherein the mutual interference condition includes receiving a beacon transmission indicating reservation of a communication resource by another device that overlaps with a reserved portion of a communication resource data transmission period; and a transmitter configured to send a notification to the transmitting device, the notification indicates the presence of overlapping reservations in the reserved portion of the communication resource data transmission period. 36. The computer system according to clause 35, in which the condition of mutual interference further includes the allocation of the communication resource for the neighboring device, which has a higher priority than the connection with the transmitting device. 37. The computer system according to clause 36, in which the condition of mutual interference additionally includes the distribution of the communication resource for the neighboring device, containing the installation confirmation. 38. The computer system according to clause 35, in which the notification includes an indication of non-overlapping reserved parts of the communication resource for the wireless device. 39. The computer system of claim 38, wherein said indication is included in a modified information element of a distributed reservation protocol (IE DRP). 40. The computer system according to clause 35, in which the transmitter is additionally configured to send notifications during the portion of the communication resource allocated to non-payload transmissions. 41. The computer system of claim 40, wherein the notification includes an Accessibility Information Element (AIE) transmitted during a portion of a communication resource allocated to non-payload transmissions. 42. The computer system of paragraph 41, wherein the notification further includes a modified distributed reservation protocol information element (IE DRP), a modified DRP IE provides indications of overlapping reserved parts of a communication resource for a wireless communication device. 43. A computer-readable medium comprising computer program logic recorded thereon to indicate overlapping reservations in a wireless communication network, the computer program logic comprising program code for enabling the processor to receive data transmissions from a transmitting device within a wireless communication network, data transmissions correspond to the connection with the transmitting device and occur within the reserved portion of the data transfer period of the communication resource; program code to further enable the processor to receive multiple beacon transmissions from one or more devices belonging to said communication network, said beacons supporting coordination between devices in the network and occur within the allocated beacon period of the communication resource; program code for enabling the processor to detect a mutual interference condition, wherein the mutual interference condition includes receiving a beacon transmission indicating reservation of a communication resource by another device overlapping with a reserved portion of a communication resource data transmission period; and program code for enabling the processor to send a notification to the transmitting device, the notification indicating the presence of overlapping reservations in the reserved portion of the communication resource data transmission period.

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